Setting Up A New Beehive

A 3lb package of Italian honey bees is put into the new beehive which is laid out in its individual parts.

In this second video the queen is taken and placed in the new hive (you can see all the bees sticking with her trying to protect her). Everything with bees you move very slowly and very gently. To allow the queen and her attendants to let themselves out once inside the hive, the cork has been replaced with a marshmallow so they can eat their way out.

Another frame is added near to the frame with the queen in. The rest of the bees are then sprayed with a sugar/water solution and emptied into the hive. The rest of the frames are added to the hive, spaced as evenly as possible. The inner cover is added, and some food (pollen cake and water/sugar solution and some honey from another hive – see update below for changes to the feeding situation). Within minutes some bees have congregated at the entrance and are sending out their signals to let others that don’t know where the entrance is how to get in. Bee GPS!

Update : 4 Days Later